The film will be based on a screenplay which the studio bought last year for a seven-figure sum from The Devil Wears Prada writer Aline Brosh McKenna in the wake of Alice in Wonderland's spectacular box-office success. The $1.02bn global return for Tim Burton's film has seen an array of projects based on fairytale or children's fantasy material greenlit, including two Snow White films and several efforts based on The Wizard of Oz.

Brosh McKenna's script features a Prince Charming who's all set for a loveless, politically arranged marriage until he meets Cinderella. Deadline reports that the film is a priority for Disney, though no final deal has yet been reached with Romanek. The studio also brought the most famous previous version of the Cinderella story, the 1950's animated take, to screens.

As well as offbeat science-fiction tale Never Let Me Go, which was a hit with critics after premiering at last year's London film festival, Romanek also directed the 2002 Robin Williams psychological thriller One Hour Photo.